The Trouble With Faeries
by DeathandJunkfood
Summary: Sam and Dean investigate a series of disappearences where every three years on the summer solstice, three victims go missing. After hearing a half-forgotten legend, they link the missing to a mysterious bridge in the woods. Complete with glittery witches, rampaging elks and a forest full of LARPers, the boys are racing against time to stop the abductions.
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer... I do not own Supernatural**

There is a bridge, in the woods by the town. It crosses a small stream, one that is crystal clear and cold as ice. It isn't falsely quaint or kitschy, instead, it is moss covered and rotting, the planks crumbling slowly into gaps large enough to admit an unwary traveller's foot. There are legends, about this bridge. Half-forgotten stories whispered by grandmothers around a summer's campfire. They are dark tales. 'Not for the young ones', the mothers would tut, sweeping their unwilling offspring off their roughhewn stools fashioned from stumps.

Or, they would encourage them. 'That's what happens if you don't eat your vegetables!' they would trill, and the grandmothers and grandfathers would shake their heads sadly that their stories were discounted and discarded.

It was a Sunday, and the sun just flitted through the dense tree cover, illuminating the bridge in a shaft of golden light. The girl ran over rough roots and moss covered pebbles, revelling in the freedom and the coolness of the day. Unwilling to get her shiny Sunday shoes wet, she carefully picked her way across the bridge.

Her foot slipped through. The wood bit through her cotton stockings into her ankle, and she could feel the warmth of blood well to the surface. She bit her lip, unwilling to cry out. It seemed wrong, somehow. Like speaking in a library.

The girl tried to pull her foot out carefully. The wood refused to give. She frowned, balancing carefully, and reached down to pull at the shattered board. Her fingers stuck to the wood. Truly panicking now, she screamed, and her cry echoed in the empty woods around her. Nothing happens.

She remains there, in that awkward, hunched over position till nightfall. She sobs, every so often, but it seems pointless, because there is no one to hear her.

As she watches the sun dip beneath the trees, there is a whisper, in the woods behind her. A woman steps from behind the trees, smiling gently. She is tall, with creamy golden skin and amber eyes with cinnamon coloured hair.

"Please!" the girl cried, "Help me, I'm trapped"

"I know" the woman said gravely, "and I am sorry, but I cannot help you. Goodbye, child. Your end will be swift, at least"

A cloud of golden light swells from her to envelope the girl. The girl's last thought is how lovely it is, and how warm.

Sam tapped at his laptop, clicking through articles.

"So, three every three years, it looks like. The pattern goes back centuries. Even before there was a town at the site. They're always last seen in the Faerie Woods"

Dean grimaced. "Faerie Woods, dude? We have to go to a place called _Faerie_ Woods? No way in hell"

Sam sighed, and stabbed at the image on the screen impatiently. A smiling little girl with warm brown eyes grins out at them. There was a delicate purple flower tucked absently behind her ear.

"This year is the third year, and this little girl was the first disappearance. The victims disappear over a period of nine days during Midsummer, one every third day"

"Why all the threes?"

Sam shrugged "Three is a powerful number in magic. Along with six, and nine. This girl was nine years old"

"The victims are never seen again?" Dean asked.

"Nope"

Running a hand through his shortly cropped brown hair, Dean rolled off the creaky motel bed onto the stained carpet.

"Witches? With the threes, it might match"

Sam frowned, looking unconvinced. "Maybe… I don't think so, though"

"Right, well we better get into the monkey suits. Might as well talk to the local cops"

"Sure"

The Impala raced down the highway, tall evergreens casting light shadows on the highway. Dean picked through a bag of a bag of chips with one hand, and Sam looked at his brother in distaste.

"I think there's some sort of rule about junk food before eleven am" he said, eyeing the crackling bag.

Dean waved the hand that rested on the wheel emphatically. The Impala swerved.

"Whoa, whoa, hands on the wheel, dude!"

Dean sighed. "You're such an old lady"

"Well" Sam pointed out, "old ladies get old for a reason. They're _careful_ "

"Yeah, that'll work well in our line of work"

After another hour of bickering, they rolled into the small town of Impswitch.

It sat right on the edge of the woods, clusters of small, cosy houses sat along tree lines streets, and they passed a wide open park area where kids ran and played.

Green and gold ribbons wrapped the lamp poles, and a few banners proclaimed 'HAPPY MIDSUMMER'

"That's weird" commented Sam.

"How so?"

"Well, how many towns do you know of that celebrate Midsummer, and the summer solstice"

Dean frowned, considering. "Yeah, that is fairly odd"

Sam grabbed at the wheel, and Dean jerked it instinctively.

"Dude, quit that" he scolded.

"Pull over!" Sam said urgently.

Dean gazed at the store they were in front of, and raised an eyebrow.

"White Magicks and Wild Magicks?" he read doubtfully, and glared at Sam, "Seriously?"

Sam shrugged. "Can't hurt to check out the local magic scene"

Dean grumbled, but followed Sam into the shop.

It was flowery and light, with heavy rose perfume scenting the white painted shop. Tables of rose quartz and crystals promised speedy results in love and healing spells, and baskets were filled to the brim with fragrant herb sachets. Dried flowers were strewn on the floor. There was an entire display of varicoloured candles, with appropriately matching scents.

Sam inspected a shelf of incense dubiously. Dean sneezed.

A young woman with long straggly blonde hair emerged from the back, dressed in flowing bits of a gauzy purple material. She gasped. Perhaps it was just surprise at the fact that there were customers.

"Hello!" she gushed, moving towards them. Dean took a hasty step back. She smelled like patchouli. Sometimes it stuck.

"Uh, hey" Sam said awkwardly, and she turned her large, upturned blue eyes on him.

"We're Agents Tomas and Rend. We're investigating the disappearance of Holly Fowl" Dean told her, flashing the FBI badge.

She gasped again. "Oh it's just _horrible_ , isn't it? That sweet young girl… I tried a tracking spell, but she's beyond the reach of my powers. She must have been taken by something very powerful indeed" she finished solemnly, dabbing at her eyes with a scrap of silk.

Dean barely resisted the urge to roll his eyes. "Ok, cut the crap, sister. Are you a witch, or not? This little girl's been missing for a day, and all sorts of things could've happened to her in those woods. We need to find out if there are any supernatural nasties in those woods that could've taken a little girl"

Her eyes looked dreamy for second as she regarded Dean. "I prefer the term 'Wiccan'" she told them, "'Witch' has all sorts of unfortunate connotations. And as for supernatural creatures, there are the faeries, of course, but they would never harm a child. They're nature spirits, who exist in harmony with the natural world…"

Her dreaminess faded for a moment, and she produced a small spray bottle. She spritzed it on them.

"Lemongrass" she explained, "wonderful for increasing mental agility"

Dean and Sam escaped the heavily scented air of the shop, coughing. Dean was swearing furiously between breaths.

"Uh, Dean?" Sam said.

"What?"

"You got a bit a glitter- well; actually it's all over your face"

Dean went pale. He scrubbed furiously at his face with his sleeve. "That damn witch must've had glitter in that bottle. What is it about the crazy faerie people that they always have glitter?"

Sam shrugged, sneezing again.

The local station was small, but efficiently run. An assistant typed busily at her desk, and a stack of MISSING posters sat on her desk. The young girl's face and name were emblazoned across them. A potted lilac sat on the windowsill near her desk and the woman stood to water it as the boys entered.

There was water colour paintings of what Sam assumed were the local woods, and the neatly framed artwork seemed out of character for a police station.

The sheriff had deep lines carved into his face from worry, and he regarded Sam and Dean seriously from across his desk.

"So, when was Holly Fowl first reported missing?" Sam asked him, notebook out.

"Day before yesterday evening. She'd been off to play in the woods in the morning and when she didn't come home at dark, her folks started to worry"

"She was playing in the woods alone?" Dean's tone left no one in doubt as to what he thought of the parents.

"Look, Agents, this is a small town. Our kids grow up close to nature, running around in the woods. There's nothing in there that could hurt a kid, the most dangerous thing in there are a few skinny squirrels. We just need to find her fast"

"Thanks Sheriff. We'll keep in touch" Sam promised, standing to go.

Dean looked like he wanted to stay and grill the sheriff a bit more, but a swift kick to the back of the knees from Sam got him moving.

"Parents next?" Sam asked.

"Yep, sure" Dean replied, loosening his tie hastily.

They moved out the front door, and Dean turned his head to look back at the station. Behind it, he could see the woods, deep and fantastical looking. An involuntary shiver trailed down his spine.

The Fowls looked shrunken by their grief and worry. Their living room was plastered with photos of their daughter, a mischievous looking girl with golden skin and shining black hair. It was filled with light, and intricate carved tables rested atop silk carpets, with small enamelled bowls resting on the mantel piece. Sam could smell cloves and cinnamon. It definitely wasn't your typical suburban home done in shades of beige and inoffensive blue.

"Holly's always loved to play in the woods, ever since she was a little girl" Mrs Fowl told them, "she practically grew up there, she couldn't have gotten lost, or anything like that"

"Was there any place in particular that she spent a lot of time at?" Sam asked.

Mr Fowl hesitated. "Well- she's always been fascinated by the bridge. The other kids wouldn't go near it, said it was haunted, but Holly spent hours there. I never knew why she likes it so much, it's just a rotting old bridge"

"No" Mrs Fowl interrupted, "the story wasn't that it was haunted. It's called Seelie Bridge. My grandma always told me it led to Faerieland. That's how the woods got their name, apparently. But they weren't nice faeries, they were cruel. They would steal those that crossed their bridge under the light of the Midsummer moon. But of course, not many people crossed at night time, so they devised a trap. Whoever crossed the bridge under the Midsummer sun would be trapped upon the bridge until the moon rose and they could be taken to Faerieland"

The woman seemed to fall into a sort of dream, telling them the story. She shook herself, blushing and looking embarrassed as she blinked at Sam and Dean. "Of course" she added hastily, "It's just a story"

Sam and Dean traded quick glances. "Ma'am, did Holly ever talk about seeing anything odd, in the woods? Strange lights, maybe, or odd shadows"

Mrs Fowl shrunk back into her husband's side, blinking at them owlishly. "Agents, it was just a faerietale. It's not _real_ "

"Humour me" Sam suggested, and Dean flashed them a quick grin.

"She told me that she saw lights dancing in the woods, one evening. In a circle. She called it something- I can't quite recall" Mr Fowl broke off, shaking his head.

"A Faerie Ring" Mrs Fowl said, sounding sure of herself, "Yes, that's it, a Faerie Ring. She said they were- celebrating"

Sam stood. "Thank you. Really, you helped a lot. We'll try our very best to get your daughter back"

Mrs Fowl shook her head, looking suddenly uncertain, "It's just a faerietale" she said faintly, pressing her hand to her lips, "Just a faerietale"

"We understand ma'am. But sometimes, the things that seem to mean nothing, can mean the most" Dean said, and Sam shot him a look. That sounded uncharacteristic for Dean. Normally his brother would term that as 'whiny emo yoga crap'. Sam wasn't exactly sure how all that went together, but according to Dean, they did.

They departed, Dean shaking his head furiously. "Man, I hate faeries. 'Member the ones that kidnapped me?"

Sam snorted. "I remember that you _microwaved_ one"

"Yeah" Dean said grimly, "It had nipples"

Sam nodded.

"And" Dean said, off on a roll now, "You slept with that hippie chick instead of looking for me"

Sam nodded, more hesitantly thing time. Being reminded of the time when he was soulless was never fun.

"And furthermore, they were pretending to be aliens"

"Maybe these faeries are actually aliens pretending to be faeries" Sam suggested.

Dean considered it for a split second before shaking his head. "Nah. That's crazy, even for us"

"Yeah, probably. So, next stop, the Seelie Bridge?"

Dean frowned. "What's a Seelie, by the way? Isn't it one of those mermaid-seal things?"

Sam stared at his brother. "Dean, that's a _Selkie_. Seelie is another name for faerie"

"Huh. The things you learn"

Despite it being a fairly small, and apparently 'harmless' forest, there was still a cabin with a park ranger presiding.

"I'm guessing you're feds?" the man asked curiously. He was casually dressed and lean and tan. Clearly, he enjoyed his job.

"How'd you guess?" Dean asked with a laugh.

"Just the demeanour. You're here about Holly Fowl?"

"Yeah" Sam said, staring at a stuffed moose head. It stared back. It looked unhappy. "You help out with search parties?" he asked.

"Yep. Those crazy LARPers in the woods have been real helpful. I thought they were gonna be a damned nuisance, but once they heard a little girl was missing, they all pitched in to look for her"

Sam grinned at Dean.

"LARPers?" he asked.

"Yeah. Live Action Role Play. Pretend they're from some mystical kingdom. Moondoor, I think it was. They're weird kids, but they're not bad, all things considered"

Sam tore his gaze away from the moose head. Dean was grinning like a loon, and clearly the park ranger thought he was a little nuts.

"Well, good luck boys. I sure hope you find her, she's a sweet little girl"

Dean tipped an imaginary hat, and departed at high speed, Sam in his wake.

"You think Charlie's here? Where there are _more_ faeries? Weird coincidence"

"No kidding" said Sam, casting a quick glance at a wooden sign that directed them into the dense woods.

"Maybe she just wants to get laid by another faerie" Dean suggested, looking falsely innocent.

"Dude!" Sam protested.

It was midday, and the light dappled the ground in golden patterns that made Sam think of sleeping jungle cats. The woods were beautiful, and he could see why a little girl like Holly Fowl had been so drawn to them. There was an air of playful mystery and magic about them that was hard to resist.

After a brisk twenty minute walk, striped tents began to show up amongst the dense foliage. Sam could see figures moving between them, and chattering voices soon reached them.

Dean accosted a short young man, who was dressed in a squire's uniform. He smiled, all teeth. "Take us to your leader" he said.

Sam rolled his eyes.

The kid directed them to a large tent, the entrance flaps looped back with braided golden rope, a plush red carpet leading the way inside.

"Your Majesty? I have two visitors for you- they just showed up"

"Bring them in" ordered a familiar voice.

The boy turned to them. "You can go in now" he said pompously.

Sam and Dean ducked through the low entrance of the tent, letting their eyes adjust to the dim lighting inside. Sam spotted a slight red headed figure sprawled on the large bed. She was grinning at them.

"Sam? Dean? What are _you_ doing here? Did you hear about the disappearance pattern too?"

"Too? You're here because of it?" Dean asked.

"Yep. It's a great place for LARPing, plus, lots of local legends which just make it more fun. But then that little girl, Holly Fowl went missing…"

Charlie stood, and bounced over to them cheerfully, flinging her arms around Dean, and then Sam.

"So" she asked, "can I help you guys?"

The brothers traded quick looks. "Actually, yeah. We're looking for a bridge. Called the Seelie Bridge, I think. Apparently there's a local faerietale about it, and Holly spent a lot of time there"

Charlie nodded. "I visited it yesterday. I thought it'd make a good place to go questing"

"No!" Sam exclaimed, "Everyone needs to stay away from it. According to the story, it's a bridge to Faerieland"

Charlie widened her eyes and sat down heavily on a rough wooden chair. "Why is it always faeries?" she asked glumly.

Sam grabbed another chair, and Dean perched at the end of the bed, eyeing the tent gleefully. He would never admit it, but he had _loved_ LARPing with Charlie.

Charlie crossed her legs, foot tapping the air nervously. The late afternoon sunlight slipped through gaps in the tent, and one shaft fell across her red hair. She had no problem helping the Winchesters on a case, occasionally, but the whole faerie thing was just weird.

"So, your Highness. Think you can take us to the Seelie Bridge?" Dean asked her gently, seeing the worry in her eyes.

She perked up, and jumped to her feet.

"Of course. You're cool with being my handmaiden again, right?"

According to Charlie, the bridge wasn't far, maybe about a half mile past the camp. There were no marked trails, but the trees and shrubs seemed to part obligingly, making the walk easy. They followed a burbling stream, which raced over rocks, following the way that they had come.

Dean's feet crunched on the leaves, and he glanced over his shoulder every so often. There was a feeling of being watched, in these woods. It wasn't a malevolent presence, simply a curious one, which was very, very ancient.

He slipped his hand into his pocket, feeling for the vial of sugar that he held. No matter how powerful the faerie, they would have to stop to count every grain if he spilled it in front of them. The feel of the smooth glass was reassuring under his fingers. Friggin faeries. He was still annoyed about being kidnapped a few years ago.

"You ok there, Dean?" Charlie asked, looking quietly amused.

"Yeah, why?"

"Just- you were scowling like someone had kicked your puppy"

Sam looked back over his shoulder and peered at his brother. Dean did look annoyed, but he suspected it was more habitual than anything.

"We're almost there" Charlie continued, brushing aside a spider web that still glistened with dew. It stuck fast to her hand and she shook it impatiently to get it off.

"Good. In two days, the second victim is due to go missing. Hopefully we can get this thing tied up before then" Sam reached down to pluck a pebble out of his shoe.

A butterfly flapped a few lazy turns around them, before moving on.

Charlie bit her lip. "Do you think we can get her back?" she asked, "Holly, I mean"

Dean gazed off into the woods. "God, I hope so"

They continued through the woods, following the stream that reflected the sun into their eyes.

Finally, they came to a break in the trees. The boys followed Charlie's pointing finger until they saw the bridge. It was old, but ornately carved with delicate flowers and vines. Moss had started to creep up it, enveloping the carvings and distorting them until they became strange and frightening.

Sam repressed a shudder. He could almost feel the power and magic thrumming through the seemingly tranquil spot, coating the bridge in spells until it became an irresistible beacon. He noticed Dean starting to drift towards it, as if in a dream, and lunged forward, snagging his brother's wrist before he climbed onto the bridge.

"Dude, what the hell?" Dean demanded, wrenching his hand back.

"Can't you feel it?" Sam was incredulous, "All that power… It's enchanting you, Dean. You have to stay away from it"

Charlie had been headed towards the bridge too, but at Sam's words, she stopped and shook herself out of the spell.

"How come it didn't affect you?" she asked in a small voice.

"I dunno" Sam shrugged, peering closer at the bridge. It was so shrouded in enchantments and mirages that it shimmers, like a heat spot on the road.

"Must be your weird-ass ESP powers" Dean suggested, nodding wisely.

"I haven't had those in years" Sam reminded him, carefully moving towards the bridge.

He was about a foot away when he stopped and crouched down, his knees sinking into the damp soil. Sam felt a lump in his throat as he gazed at the centre of the bridge. Two small, shiny shoes sat there, as if their owner had just taken them off a minute before. They were untouched by rain or dust, and Sam could see a pair of white socks neatly folded into them. There was a blood spot on one.

"Guys" he looked back over his shoulder, swallowing to dispel the tightness in his throat.

Charlie sucked in her breath with a hiss, eyes fixed on the little shoes. Dean cursed, kicked at the dirt in dismay.

"Guess the legends are true" he murmured.

There was a rustling in the underbrush about twenty feet away from them, and Dean and Sam both spun towards it, guns out and cocked.

"Hello?" said Sam.

It rustled again. Seconds later, a huge elk barrelled towards them, kicking its legs out crazily and bellowing.

"I didn't know elks could bellow" Dean said, looking surprised.

Sam shoved him and Charlie out of the way, dodging the rampaging elk. It skidded on its hooves and followed them.

"Go, go, go!" Dean yelled, running back the way they had come.

"This" Charlie panted as they ran, "is so insane. You know that, right? Normal people do not get chased through the woods by crazy elks"

Sam was lifted off his feet as the elk crashed into him from behind, flinging him into a tree. He dropped to the ground limply, and didn't move.

Dean stopped so fast that Charlie nearly ran into him and darted back to Sam's side. His heart was pounding crazily as he assessed Sam's condition frantically. What if that sonvabitch elk had killed him?

Dropping to his knees, he patted Sam's cheek gently. "Hey Sammy. Come on, dude. Wake up, we gotta move"

He was about to haul Sammy up and _drag_ his giant kid brother out of those damn woods, but the elk got to him first. It lashed out with a hoof, and caught him in the gut, tossing him high in the air before he came down with a resounding thump.

Charlie stared at the boys for a moment, before starting to back up, hands held up.

"Come on" she pleaded, "Let's talk about this! There's no need to act so crazy and run around knocking people out. D'you think you could just let us go? Please?"

Apparently, this was the wrong thing to say. The elk snorted disdainfully, and charged.

"Oh crap"

The words were barely out of Charlie's mouth when the elk hit. The world went black around her.

 **Hopefully you enjoyed! If you did (or if you have any constructive criticism) please leave a review!**


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer... I do not own Supernatural.**

Dean groaned. His whole body hurt. What the hell had happened? Oh right. Crazy elk. He raised himself up on his elbows, gazing about. Sam lay fairly close to him, arm splayed out to the side.

Charlie's red hair was a splash of colour against the dark forest floor, and she looked all right, apart from a nasty bruise on her head.

Dean poked his stomach tentatively and barely managed to stifle a whimper. The area felt like one giant bruise.

He felt in his pocket for the bottle of water he carried, and half-crawled over to Sammy. His long hair had fallen over his face, making him look like the Snufflelouphaugus. Dean allowed himself a smirk, before splashing a bit of water over his face and slapping Sam's cheek gently.

Sam moaned slightly, and opened his eyes. His hazel eyes were foggy and confused, and he blinked slowly at Dean.

"Dean? What happen- erhghg"

Dean assumed the 'erhghg' was because of the injured arm, and resisted commenting on it.

"Easy, Sammy. You got a hurt arm. Just sit tight kid, I'm gonna go check on Charlie"

Sam nodded, face twisting into a grimace but he hauled himself into a seated position.

"Where'd the elk go?" he called over to Dean.

"Dunno. Wasn't there when I woke up. Maybe it was like a guard dog or sumtin'"

He poured a bit of the water over Charlie, and the redhead jerked, opening her eyes to glare at Dean. "Owww" she groaned, sitting up cautiously.

"You good?" Dean asked.

"S'ok. That freaking elk ran me over. I didn't know elks were aggressive"

Dean smiled. "I don't think they are, normally. I'm guessing the faeries had something to do with it"

She nodded, hauling herself painfully to her feet.

"Hey Charlie" Sam said.

"Dude, you're white as a sheet. Your arm hurt?"

"Yeah, it's bruised or something. We gotta get back to town. It'll be dark in a few minutes"

Dean limped back to his brother, hauling him up and draping Sam's good arm around his shoulder.

"You ok?" Dean asked.

"Yeah- ahh- I'm peachy"

The unfortunate trio stumbled back through the suddenly gloomy woods, trying to avoid slippery tree roots and patches of briar.

"Wish we could call Bobby" Dean muttered to Sam.

"Me too. We'll figure it out though"

After a painful half hour, they made it back to the LARP encampment, where Charlie limped back to her tent in search of ice and Advil.

Dean waved goodbye (since Sam couldn't) and promised to come back tomorrow, hopefully with new information before the two headed back to find the Impala, and hopefully a doctor.

The doctor at the lone clinic in town let out a whistle as the boys limped through her door.

She was a petite brunette in her early thirties with green eyes that looked weary with the endless compassion that she had to provide.

"Wow. What happened to you two?" she asked as she led Sam back to the treatment area. It was small and slightly shabby, but sparklingly clean, every surface scrubbed till in shone in defiance of germs.

"We got run over by a reindeer" Dean said grimly.

"You're kidding" the doctor raised her eyebrows as she sat Sam down on the paper covered bed gently.

"It was an elk" Sam groaned, as she gave him a shot of painkiller.

After the boys got patched up, they piled back into the Impala and started to search for accommodation.

There was a choice of two hotels in town. 'Miss Maybelle's Bed and Breakfast' or 'The Jungle Hotel and Casino'

"I think we should go to Miss Baymelle's" Sam giggled, "She sounds fun"

Dean did a double take, and stared at Sam. He was staring out the window, seemingly enchanted by everything he saw.

"Oh Jesus. I forgot how you get on those heavy duty pain meds. You're high"

Sam nodded solemnly "Like a plane" he stage whispered, "But don't tell Dean, he doesn't like planes"

"Dude, I'm right- oh never mind. Just look at the nice houses or whatever"

Sam smiled cheerily, and went back to peering out the window, nose practically pressed against the glass.

"Hey, dude?" he asked.

"Yeah, buddy?"

"I'm scared about the trials. I think I might die. Don't tell Dean though, I don't want him to know I'm scared"

Dean's heart clenched. His little brother was scared that he might die, and Dean didn't even realize it. Through all this mess, they had been together, but he never really knew how Sam felt. His brother had insisted on doing the trials. Dean should have fought harder against it.

"Listen up, Sammy" he managed to choke out eventually, "you are not going to die. I won't allow it, you hear? You're gonna finish these goddamned trials, and we're gonna slam the gates of Hell forever. After that, well, hell, life will be a party! Only got angels and monsters to worry about. But you are not going to die. I'm gonna take care of you, right? That's my job, after all"

Sam turned towards Dean, resting his head against the window. His hazel eyes looked damp and unfocused. "Ok" he said, "just don't tell Dean, all right?"

Dean swallowed and forced a grin, "Sure, Sammy. Our secret, ok?"

Eventually Dean made the tough call, and got a room at Miss Maybelle's.

Miss Maybelle herself was a short grandmotherly woman, who was squeezed into a frumpy lace and floral dress. She appeared to have a doily pinned to her head. Dean stared at the doily, propping up a still loopy Sammy.

She blended into the floral wall paper of the lobby, which was stuffed with heavy dark furniture and smelled like mothballs and roses. Dean gulped. The Jungle Hotel and Casino was sounding better every minute. Above the front desk that was fussily adorned with vases of dried flowers, a collection of novelty plates with kittens on them glared down at him with distaste.

"Honeymooners?" she asked squeakily, beaming happily at them, before spotting Sam and frowning, "Is your partner all right, sir?"

Dean gave a smile that looked more like a grimace. "Uh, no, this is my brother. He had a bit of a run in with some of the local wildlife"

"Sammy got run over by a reindeer!" Sam sang, spinning around and nearly falling over before Dean caught him.

Miss Maybelle's eyebrows were creeping up her forehead steadily.

"I see" she said evenly.

"He had a bad reaction to some of the pain medication they gave him" Dean offered, cursing internally. He should've remembered to check what type they were giving him.

Maybelle apparently decided to ignore the softly singing giant in her lobby, and turned her gaze on Dean. "Two rooms?" she asked.

"No, one will be fine" Dean tried to keep his eyes on Sammy as he roamed around inspecting the lobby, "two beds, though" he added hastily, in case the lady had forgotten the whole _brothers_ thing.

It was hell to get Sam and their bags up the narrow flight of stairs. Dean managed, and finally crammed them through the door. Their room was more or less the same as downstairs, with cross-stitched pillows crammed onto over stuffed pink velvet arm chairs, and pink floral quilts on the two single beds. It was far from the worst place that they had stayed, but Dean almost longed for an abandoned building or a questionable motel. Crocheted doilies sprouted on every surface, like some sort of strange mould. Worst of all, a family of ceramic farm animals frolicked on the mantel piece of the merrily burning fire.

Sam finger waved at a gaudily painted lamb.

Dean sighed. "Alright Sammy, time to get some shut eye"

Sam nodded, and collapsed face first on the covers.

Sam woke first, his whole body a mass of bruises and scrapes. The early morning sun slipped through the lace curtains and the whole room was stiflingly hot, a thick stew of wood smoke and potpourri.

He headed to the windows, forcing them open though they protested and groaned. A wave of fresh air made him sigh in relief, and he stood for a moment, enjoying the fresh air.

He gazed around the room, eyebrows raised. It was just so _pink_. Sam downed a few painkillers, and sat on his creaky, florally bed while the laptop booted up. It was difficult to type with one arm, but he managed.

He trawled through pages and pages of information, looking for any clues on how to break the three year cycle. Sam didn't really expect to find anything, considering the town was a pretty much just a wide spot in the road. Besides, it was only three victims every three years. It might be a different story if it had been twenty victims every year, or similarly high numbers. Finally, he found a link to a book of local legends from the 1920's, describing the pattern.

 _Local legend describes a curse laid upon the town by a kingdom of faeries, angry that their forest was being desecrated by humans. Supposedly, the faeries swore that they would steal three victims every third year, in memory of the three faerie children accidentally killed by the first settlers while the Seelie Bridge was being constructed. They cursed the bridge, turning it into a bridge to Faerieland. Over time, their grasp on the land has faltered, and their only way to our world is via the bridge._

Sam looked up from the screen, intending to wake Dean up to tell him the new information. Dean was already awake, hair tousled wildly as he frowned at Sam from the midst of a nest of tangled blankets.

"You were so weird last night" his brother commented.

"What? Never mind, I found out how we can stop the pattern. They're tied to the bridge. All we have to do is destroy it"

Dean made a face. "Can't be. It's never that easy Sammy. We're gonna probably have to fly to the South Pacific and pick a special type of coconut that only grows at the top of a mountain and then collect the oil and use it to burn the bridge while reciting Puck's soliloquy'

Sam stared at the elder Winchester, "Dude, where do you come up with this stuff? And by the way, why the hell are we staying in a place that looks like Umbridge's office?"

Dean rolled out of bed with a thump. "My _god_ , you're a geek"

After showering remaining elk residue off, and finding less dubious clothes, Sam and Dean were ready to head back out to the woods with a gallon of kerosene and a book of matches.

They were just leaving, when Miss Maybelle hauled herself up the steep flight of stairs, and foisted a plate of strawberry scones upon them.

Dean grinned and shoved one in his mouth. Sam made a bitch-face at his brother's antics.

"Bye-bye boys!" Maybelle squeaked, waving her lace apron.

Dean's glee at the sight of food had turned to horror once he started to chew the scone. It was dry as the desert, and chewy as a tire, plus it was inedible with salt. He wondered if they could use them as some sort of weapon against demons.

"Didn't enjoy your breakfast?" Sam asked innocently as Dean spat the scone into a convenient vase of dried roses.

"Screw scones" he said grimly, heading for the door, "I need real food"

To Dean's dismay, all the cafes or restaurants in town were full of hippie-vegan-gluten free crap. Sam of course, was delighted, and immediately gobbled up all the fruit and muesli he could find.

It was almost nine am before they found their way back to the woods. Tomorrow, the next victim was due to go missing. They needed to burn that bridge pronto. It had rained in the night, and all the leaves glistened with rain drops that splintered the light into fragments. The ground was spongy beneath their feet, and the whole forest seemed washed clean.

Sam kept a wary eye out for elks, clutching his arm to his chest protectively. Luckily it had been just a hair line fracture. He was keen to avoid any more run-ins with the large elk, however.

Dean felt like he was being watched, and glared at an inquisitive robin that flew down to perch on a branch in front of him. He threw a rock at the bird, and it flew off with an indignant sounding cry.

"Yeah, you better fly, Tweety!" he shouted.

Sam watched him. "Dude, what was that about?"

"We don't know what these faeries are controlling! I mean, that elk was clearly not thinking for itself. The wild life could all be spies"

"Right. That robin was about to report back to its faerie masters. You're paranoid"

"In this line of work, it pays to be paranoid"

They continued on towards the camp, Dean glaring ferociously at several unfortunate birds and squirrels. Smoke was drifting through the trees when they came across the camp. It carried the scent of frying meat, and Dean started sniffing the air immediately, ploughing through the trees in the direction of the food.

Sam sighed, and followed his brother. "Dean" he called, thinking of something.

"Yeah?"

"I just realized- if we burn the bridge, how're we gonna get Holly Fowl back? We can't just abandon her in Faerieland"

Dean turned towards him, face set. Sam realized with a chill that Dean had already weighed the options and given Holly up for dead.

"Sam, our job is to save as many people as we can. I wish to God we could get her back, but we can't. Our priority's gotta be saving future victims"

Sam nodded weakly, ducking his head so Dean couldn't see his shocked face. Dean had never been good at the whole greater good thing. This wasn't like him.

Ever since Dean had come back from Purgatory, he had been more closed, somehow. He had grown close to Cas and that vampire, Benny, in a friendship that shut Sam out. He felt guilty, begrudging his brother those friends when he was fighting for his life every day. He said he forgave Sam for not searching for him, but Sam could tell he was holding back his bitterness.

Dean crashed through the underbrush, alerting the whole camp to his presence. When he finally broke through into the clearing, all the LARPers were staring at the tall, modernly dressed man that had blundered into their midst. Charlie hastily sent the onlookers scurrying, and turned to the boys.

A purple bruise bloomed high on her cheek, and she had a split lip. Dean could tell in the tender way that she held herself that she was nursing bruised ribs and various other aches and pains.

"That elk did a number on you, huh?"

She glared at him for a moment, before noticing Sam's sling.

"Did you break your arm?" she asked anxiously.

"Just a hairline fracture. No biggie"

Charlie nodded, and started back towards her tent, beckoning to the boys to follow her.

She had a plateful of sausages and eggs, and Dean eyed it longingly. All he had had for breakfast was that ghastly scone, and he wasn't looking forward to the prospect of hunting down faeries on an empty stomach.

"Have you eaten yet?" Charlie asked.

"Yes" Sam said, just as Dean replied in the negative.

"Well, nothing wrong with second breakfasts. According to the hobbits, anyways, it's practically mandatory. I'll go see if I can find some more food"

She ducked out of the tent. Dean grinned at his brother. "God bless the nerds"

After Dean had wolfed down several plates of donated food, he felt ready to burn that damn bridge and trap those faerie bastards in their own dimension.

"So!" said Charlie brightly, "got any fancy faerie repelling guns for me?"

Sam handed her a bar of wrought iron that tapered to a sharp point. It was about three feet long, and rough to the touch.

Charlie viewed it with a look of disappointment.

"Great" she said, without enthusiasm, "an iron cudgel"

"Faeries despise iron" Dean told her, "it might not kill them, but it'll sure piss them off. Just aim for the kneecaps, you'll be fine"

She hefted the weight in her palm and smiled. "Let's go gank some faeries"

 **Ok, so i know the faeries are not particularly canon, but it just worked better for the story to have it be a curse on the town instead of someone summoning them. Hope you enjoyed the chaper, please review!**


	3. Chapter 3

They kept an eye out for any strangely behaving wildlife as they trekked through the woods. The jug of kerosene was heavy and sloshing in Dean's grip and the plastic handle wore a groove into his palm. By the time they arrived at the bridge, his leg felt bruised from where the jug had swung against it. Despite the discomfort, he couldn't help but notice the beauty of the scene that they were about to ruin.

The fast moving stream flowing under the graceful arch of the bridge, and a few purple flowers poked up through the boards.

He unscrewed the lid of the tin, Sam watching anxiously and tapping a bar of wrought iron on his leg with his good arm. Just as he was about to start pouring, an unseen force ripped the jug from his hands and sent it spinning through the air, trailing flammable liquid.

A hard shove from the same unseen person sent Dean sprawling in the leaf mulch. Charlie and Sam lifted their iron, looking about wildly for the invisible assailant.

Dean barely had time to recover before he was hauled to his feet and frog marched over to the stream. Strong, invisible hands grasped the back of his neck and forced his face down into the icy stream.

The cold water numbed his face, making it hard to think, even as he struggled. The person, faerie, whatever, must be incredibly strong, because Dean was hardly able to budge them. No matter how hard he thrashed, the hands were unyielding.

Just as black was starting to creep in, the pressure disappeared and he yanked his head out of the water, coughing and sputtering.

"You good?" Sam asked, without taking his eyes off the person who had suddenly appeared.

"Yeah" Dean wheezed, "just fine"

Sam had crept up behind Dean and the invisible person when his brother's head was thrust into the stream. One good, hard whack in the air just above Dean had collided with the attacker, and they fizzled into visibility.

It was a woman, at least, it looked like one, and she was tall and statuesque, with caramel skin and amber hair. She was dressed in fawn coloured breeches with brown boots and a dark green silk tunic. Gold rings glittered on her long slender fingers. She huddled on the ground, and Sam could see the skin across her forearm bubble and burn where the iron had touched.

Sam, Dean and Charlie said nothing as she painfully hauled herself up to a seated position, and pushed her curly hair back from her face, revealing pointed ears and elfin features.

"What the hell was that about?" Dean asked angrily, raising his iron club.

"You were going to burn the portal. I had no choice"

Sam stared at her incredulously. "You've been stealing people! Little girls! Innocent people… _We_ had no choice"

The woman snorted, and climbed to her feet. Standing, she was almost as tall as Dean and she had an elegant grace about her that was similar to the ancient trees around her.

"Innocents" she spat, "do you have any idea what they did to our children? My daughter-my daughter was one of the children slaughtered. She was just fifteen", she broke off, tears in her golden eyes.

"We know. They died, but it was an accident. You've taken enough, it's time to stop"

"An _accident_? I know what it was. I was there. I watched helplessly as the children died. I was trapped in an iron cage, forced to watch as my daughter was goggled at and prodded at and raped by filthy humans before being murdered. Our curse was well deserved"

Sam swallowed as the faerie's venomous words washed over them. She was too far gone to reason with, he knew. From accounts he had read of the deaths, they were playing in the stream when a load of logs tumbled down on them. They were crushed instantly, and the shocked villagers hastily buried them, not noticing the pointy ears or any other faerie attributes.

According to this woman, it was deliberate.

"I'm sorry, so sorry, for what happened to your daughter. But it's been over a hundred years. You can end the curse, stop all this suffering. Stop taking humans"

She shrugged. "We cannot help it. They were marked. They marked themselves out for the portal. It was just a matter of collecting them"

"What do you mean, they were 'marked'?" Dean asked.

She pointed at the flowers on the bridge. "The flowers mark them. The portal simply draws them back. We set the curse, but we couldn't stop it if we wanted to"

She smiled, showing a flash of sharpened teeth. There was a sick roiling sensation at the pit of Dean's stomach as he stared at the teeth, knowing he was staring at something incredibly _wrong._

"Besides" she went on, "who says we want to?"

Sam was thinking back to the first picture he had seen of Holly Fowl, a chubby cheeked little girl with a delicate purple flower in her hair… The faerie wasn't lying.

She smiled again, and then lunged at them, suddenly claw like finger nails extended. Charlie shrieked, swinging her club violently as the faerie flew at her.

The woman batted the rod away, hissing as her flesh touched the metal. She quickly recovered, darting her nails toward Charlie's face.

She didn't make it, because Dean swung his iron with crushing force behind it, catching her in the stomach.

The faerie curled around the pain, laughing harshly, before letting out a scream that tore through the forest, waking birds from their nests and snakes from their dens. Small foxes pricked their ears and a few deer headed to the source of the sound. In a few seconds, a veritable stampede of wildlife was heading towards the hunters.

At first, Sam tried not to hurt the animals, but that policy was abandoned as a squirrel slunk through the roiling mass of animals to sink its teeth into his ankle. He cursed, shaking his foot until the unlucky animal flew off into a tree.

The woman was still hunched on the ground, laughing, as the animals began to overwhelm the trio. She started to drag herself towards the bridge, getting stronger as she neared it.

Charlie saw her start to climb to her feet, and yelled across the clearing to Dean. He was beleaguered by a horde of badgers, but at Charlie's cry, he bowled through the angry mammals to where the faerie was beginning to cross the bridge.

He reached out, catching her arm and spinning her to face him. She threw a punch at his face, connecting solidly and ducking under the iron rod neatly. She was, Dean realized as he fought, a force of nature, like a hurricane or a blizzard. Impossible to defeat, because she just kept reforming and coming back.

Finally, after blow after blow after blow was thrown and accepted, Dean spotted an opening. He hooked his foot around her ankle and yanked, sending her to the ground.

She fell heavily, like a felled tree. Her hair spilled around her, and her golden eyes shone. She was afraid, he realized. He hesitated half a second before driving the iron spike through her heart.

The second the metal pierced her heart, the remaining wildlife stopped attacking, and slunk off.

Sam and Charlie hurried over, to where Dean rested on his knees beside the faerie corpse. His nose was bleeding, he noticed distantly, and he could feel small cuts all over his face from where her rings had sliced into his flesh.

"She really did a number on you" Sam observed, reaching down to pull him up, "are you ok?"

Dean shook his head numbly. "No, not really. She was so human, Sam. She just wanted revenge for her daughter. And isn't that what all hunters want, really? Revenge?"

"I know" Sam said quietly, turning away from her body, "I know, Dean"

"Well, I guess we're going to have to go back to town for more kerosene" Dean said after an silence filled beat, "she spilled all ours"

Charlie gazed at the sight of the faerie for a moment, before looking at the boys.

"I have an idea, actually" she said, stepping towards the bridge.

Sam and Dean's eyes widened simultaneously, and they both stepped towards her, knowing they would be too slow.

"It's ok!" she said, reaching towards the flowers. Very, very carefully, making sure that no part of her touched the bridge, she plucked the eight or nine flowers that grew up through the slats.

Charlie came over to where the boys stood, and sat at the faerie woman's head.

"The portal needs a victim, right? And they have to be marked by the flowers? Well, what if we send her through the portal? It was built for the abductions, but what if we could reverse it? Sending her through might stop it"

Dean frowned, considering. It might work.

"Ok" he told her, "but we come back tomorrow and burn it, just to be on the safe side"

Sam snorted. "Pyro" he muttered.

The two quieted however, when Charlie gently closed the faerie's eyes and began to weave the flowers through her mass of curly hair, her fingers careful.

Charlie's fingertips brushed the woman's skin, and it was still warm. Charlie could almost believe she was alive. Consciously, she knew the faerie had to be stopped, that it was evil for taking so many humans and doing god knows what with them, but in her heart, she couldn't help but sympathise.

She was so old, and consumed by an all-encompassing rage and grief over her daughter's death. She had allowed it to fester, until all that would satisfy her was more death, more misery.

Seeing the dead faerie now, her features were smooth and peaceful, her anger wiped away. Charlie finished, and stood, helping the boys move her to the centre of the bridge. She lay there for a moment, before shimmering, and fading, the bridge fading right along with her.

For a moment, a golden mist hung where the Seelie Bridge had been, before it dissipated, blowing away in the soft wind.

"Huh" Dean said, sounding disappointed, "we didn't have to burn anything"

The golden mist started to recondense, into the shape of a small figure, and Sam and Dean both tensed.

It solidified, the gold peeling away to reveal a young girl in a cotton sundress, her feet bare. There were smudges of gold leaf on her cheek bones, and she stood in the stream, staring at the adults.

Her proportions were not as childlike as before, she looked like a small adult, but she was still unmistakable, despite the sharp cheekbones and sylphlike frame.

There was something wild and mysterious about her, but not dangerous. It was the joyful, free, wildness of summer that possessed this girl, and Sam and Dean both grinned in relief as they recognized Holly Fowl.

 **Epilogue**

Sam and Dean hurried Holly back to her parents, claiming that they had found her wandering in the woods. She corroborated their story, adding that she had simply gotten lost, and smiled at them with a hint of amusement in her brown eyes.

Her eyes and hair were flecked with gold now, and her ears lightly pointed. Luckily, no one noticed. They put her slenderness down to several days of wandering the woods with no food.

Sam and Dean knew that her time with the faeries, no matter how short, had changed her subtly. It was too soon to tell the consequences, but they had no doubt that she would lead a very interesting life.

The town decided to erect a new bridge to replace the mysteriously missing Seelie Bridge, and they named it the Midsummer Bridge, which made Dean roll his eyes and mutter about hippies and wiccans and yoga.

The Wiccan who ran the magic shop claimed that the faeries had protected Holly Fowl, and suggested that they rename the town Faerieville. This suggestion was hastily vetoed.

Charlie ended up abandoning her kingdom for a short period, in favour of going on a date with the local doctor, with whom she had become acquainted when she went in to have her ribs looked at. They went on a few dates, but Charlie ended up departing for a comic convention within the week.

And of course, Sam and Dean left the town in their review mirror just as fast as they could check out of Miss Maybelle's Bed and Breakfast.

 **The End**

 **Thank you all for reading! So, a few things... Do badgers and foxes and elks even live in the same place? Idk, man. Badgers and elks just seemed slightly more impressive than fieldmice. If you enjoyed, or if you have some constructive critisicm, please review!**


End file.
